


you're the judge you're the jury I'm the executioner (you're the monster)

by OsleyaKomWonkru



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Abby Gets The Tea She Deserves, Episode: s06e02 Red Sun Rising, F/F, Fix-It, Gen, Healing, New Beginnings, Niylah Being Fierce, Niylah Serving Truth, Octavia Serving Truth, Protective Niylah, Truth
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-13
Updated: 2019-05-13
Packaged: 2020-03-02 19:57:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,719
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18817933
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OsleyaKomWonkru/pseuds/OsleyaKomWonkru
Summary: Niylah stops Skaikru from beating Octavia, leading to a different confrontation in theEligius IVmess hall, where secrets are revealed, truth is served and there is a new beginning for the former Red Queen.“Come on, Abby.” Niylah spat at her. “Tell them the truth. You’re a doctor. You knew the stakes. You were the one who proposed eating human flesh to begin with. And you were the one who told Octavia what would happen if people didn’t eat. You told her what she had to do, she did it, and then youabandonedher. Made her bear that burden alone. Let everyone hate her and only her. You should be ashamed of yourself!”Niylah wasn’t sure when it had turned into Octavia holding her back instead of the other way around, but Abby’s facial expression had finally changed from contempt to worry as Niylah felt Octavia’s arms tighten around her.“Abby. Is this true?” Jordan asked, looking between them. “Was it your idea?”





	you're the judge you're the jury I'm the executioner (you're the monster)

**Author's Note:**

> The cafeteria scene begged more fixing than just the previous fic I posted :D I love protective Niylah, and I really hope we get to see more of her, especially her being even more badass like she is here.

Niylah heard the crack of James’ fist meeting Octavia’s jaw before she saw the rest of Skaikru’s reaction. They moved quickly, blocking her way, to keep the fight between them and Octavia.

Like hell was she going to just stand idly by. Niylah hadn’t trained with Blodreina for nothing. Most of Skaikru still eschewed hand to hand, and she delivered five quick blows to put the two men trying to hold her on their backs, diving her way through the fray to throw herself over Octavia, who they’d just thrown to the floor, unresisting now that she’d provoked them into action.

“Stop it!” Niylah yelled. “Stop this now!”

“Out of the way, Grounder. This isn’t your fight.”

“Like hell it isn’t.” Niylah snarled, looking at each of them in turn. “You should be ashamed of yourselves. She saved all of your lives.”

James rolled his eyes. “Keep living in that delusion if you want. We all know her boots aren’t the only thing you’re licking.”

Niylah’s foot connected with his crotch before she even had a chance to think about it. He stumbled back, dropping to the ground outside the ring of Skaikru. They were cowed for a moment, and Niylah got back to her feet, still standing protectively over Octavia, who hadn’t moved, still face down on the floor.

“Douglas.” Niylah addressed one of the men. “You went through the arena three times for stealing from others. Victorious each time. If you were on the Ark you would have been floated on the first.”

She spun around and addressed one of the women. “And you, Brianne, you were on the wrong side of the door on the day of the Skaikru mutiny in the farm. If she hadn’t opened the door, you would have starved to death with the rest of us.”

Looking to the man beside Brianne, Niylah narrowed her eyes. She remembered him. “Rufus. You survived the arena as well. You went in for stealing rations. For stealing rations _during the Dark Year,_ of all times. Did you love it that much? Did you love the power it gave you? The strength? The feel of that meat -”

“Niylah!” Abby’s voice came sharp as a knife. “That’s enough.”

“Oh, I’m just getting started.” Niylah said, her voice dropping an octave. “Why don’t you tell them the truth, Abby? Tell them the truth about the Dark Year?”

Niylah felt a tug on her ankle, and looked down to see Octavia’s hand closing around it.

“No.” Octavia rasped, pushing herself up onto her elbows. “Don’t.”

“You’ve carried this alone for too long.” Niylah said softly, hauling Octavia back to her feet and steadying her. “For six years, you were the scapegoat for all of Wonkru’s sins. That ends today.”

“It’s not their burden to bear.” Octavia pleaded. “It’s not.”

“And it isn’t yours to bear alone either.” Niylah said, brushing Octavia’s hair behind her ear. “The Dark Year has been killing you slowly for years. That stops now. With the truth.”

“Sorry, but what’s the Dark Year?” Jordan asked nervously. “My father never told me -”

“Your father wasn’t there.” Octavia snarled, Niylah holding her back from throwing herself at Jordan. “None of them were. They didn’t know, they couldn’t understand…”

“Which is why we’re going to tell them.” Niylah murmured into Octavia’s ear, maintaining her hold on her struggling form. “No more secrets.” She turned a cold gaze to Abby. “Would you like to start?”

“Not really.”

“Then I will.” Niylah turned to Jordan. “It’s very simple really. We believed we were the last of the human race. Our protein crops had failed. We didn’t have an algae farm. The only source of protein available was the bodies of the people who died in the arena. The Dark Year refers to the year where we had to eat them to survive.” Niylah raised her chin in defiance. “Every person in this room besides you has eaten human flesh. So has every other member of Wonkru that you will meet.”

Jordan looked at the people around him, his face a mask of horror, before looking back to Niylah and Octavia. Octavia had gone limp in Niylah’s arms, staring at the floor, avoiding any sort of eye contact.

“But if you all did it… then why does everyone hate her?” Jordan asked carefully.

“Because she had to _enforce_ it.” Niylah said, voice low but carrying in the cavernous space. “If we didn’t eat, we would die of starvation. And not only would we die, but our bodies would not provide enough nourishment for those who did eat. Leading to the deaths of all. So everyone _had_ to eat - or die before they starved.” Niylah turned her cold gaze to Abby, who was beginning to look nervous. “But that wasn’t Octavia’s idea, was it, Abby?”

Abby said nothing.

“Come on, Abby.” Niylah spat at her. “Tell them the truth. You’re a doctor. You knew the stakes. You were the one who proposed eating human flesh to begin with. And you were the one who told Octavia what would happen if people didn’t eat. You told her what she had to do, she did it, and then you _abandoned_ her. Made her bear that burden alone. Let everyone hate her and only her. You should be ashamed of yourself!”

Niylah wasn’t sure when it had turned into Octavia holding her back instead of the other way around, but Abby’s facial expression had finally changed from contempt to worry as Niylah felt Octavia’s arms tighten around her.

“Abby. Is this true?” Jordan asked, looking between them. “Was it your idea?”

Abby looked down for a moment, but then back up to Jordan. “I told Octavia to make it a crime not to be a cannibal, yes. And just like on the Ark, there was only one punishment for a crime.”

“Death.” Jordan said cautiously. “Unless you were under 18. That’s what Mom and Dad said. That’s why they were a part of the 100.”

Abby nodded. “Yes. Your parents were teenagers when I sent them down to an unknown Earth. Teenagers just like my daughter, the boy you were named for, and dozens of others.”

“And me.” Octavia said. _“And me.”_ She let go of Niylah and half-staggered over to Abby, who visibly flinched as she approached, but stood her ground. “I was a teenager when you sent me to the ground. I was _still_ a teenager when I was expected to run that bunker. I asked all of you for counsel. You, Indra, Jaha, Kane, even others. I took all of your advice on how to run that place, how to keep us alive, even into the Dark Year when the only options we had for survival were horrific. _I trusted you!”_ Octavia was yelling, but her arms were down and her expression was despondent, not aggressive, so no one moved to pull her back. “Eat or die. _You_ made me into the monster we needed to survive. I took it willingly. I gave all of myself to save my people. And then you _betrayed_ me. You betrayed _us.”_

Octavia turned away from Abby to face the rest of Skaikru, Jordan and Niylah. “We marched into a massacre. We did. And I’m sorry about that, and each and every one of the four hundred and seventeen lives we lost. I really am. I fought for you for six years so that when the bunker was open, we could live instead of just survive. That’s the future I promised you. That’s the future I had to give you. Not continuing to survive in a dead city with a hydrofarm that had already failed us twice.” Octavia turned back to Abby, narrowing her eyes. “And I would have given you that future, the war would have given us that, if it wasn’t for _her._ And for _Kane._ It was only a massacre because they betrayed us to the enemy. Kane told them where we would be and when so they could ambush us. _She_ healed their soldiers. There’s plenty of blame to go around.”

Octavia turned away from Abby, walking back to Niylah. Niylah eyed the rest of Skaikru, and their expressions had changed, though they didn’t say anything. They stepped back from all of them, Abby included, going back to their own business.

“Thank you.” Octavia said, giving Niylah one of her intense looks.

“For what?”

“For fighting for me when no one else would, not even me.”

“I’m with you. You know that.”

“I just didn’t know it was that much. That you’d be ready to fight for me.”

“I’ll always fight for you. Especially if I have to fight you to do it.” Niylah raised a knowing eyebrow. “I’m glad you finally told everyone the truth.”

“You were right.” Octavia admitted. “I don’t need to bear it alone. Not anymore.”

“Do you feel better?” Niylah took a quick inventory of Octavia’s injuries and frowned in disapproval. “All of this not withstanding?”

“I’ve had worse.” Octavia smirked. “I just needed to feel something.”

“There are better ways to feel.”

“I guess I’ve forgotten how.” Octavia bit her lip, averting her gaze but reaching a hand for one of Niylah’s. “But when you say you’re with me…”

Niylah took the hand Octavia reached out with both hands, and brought it to her lips, kissing each bruised knuckle in turn, eyes firmly on Octavia until she looked back up. “I’m with you. In whatever way you need. In whatever way you want.”

“And if I wanted… this?” Octavia used her free hand to cup the side of Niylah’s head, and moving their other hands so that she could press a soft kiss to Niylah’s lips.

“Then I want it too.” Niylah said with a smile as they pulled apart.

“Even when things are hard? Even when everything - even when I’m -”

“Even when, even when.” Niylah repeated. “I’m not just _with_ you. I’m here _for_ you. I know you have a lot of healing to do. But you don’t need to do it alone.”

“Thank you.”

Octavia pressed her lips to Niylah’s again, pulling her close, and while her ears registered the metallic clang of the mess hall doors opening, nothing about that mattered, not as long as she held her new hope in her arms.

**Author's Note:**

> Title is from "Prisoner" and "Monster" by Dead Eyes.


End file.
